U2
Please: PopHeart Live EP

In 1997, U2 released "Pop," an album both loved and hated at the same time, probably because the production and mixing work was done hastily for the upcoming PopMart Tour. For this reason, almost all the tracks were arranged differently for the live shows, thus doing more justice than the versions present on the album had originally received.

Among these is the wonderful "Please", which is presented to us in this live EP in a decidedly more emotional version, where more space is undoubtedly given to The Edge's guitar and Adam's bass, no longer "submerged" by the synthesizers and electronics of Howie B., Flood & Co.

Bono's voice and Larry's drums (who at one point performs the drumming of Sunday Bloody Sunday within the song) finally make the song undoubtedly warmer and more emotional than the one on "Pop," which seems a bit cold, and which directly links to the intro of Where The Streets Have No Name, the next track.

Even Streets, a milestone for the Irish band, is colored with the addition of synths, wah guitar, and a long finale, where Bono seems to recite some verses from The Playboy Mansion: the frontman's voice is no longer what it once was, but the song remains captivating and engaging thanks to the excellent drums and Edge's impeccable falsetto.

After Please and Streets (live from Rotterdam), we move to Edmonton with With Or Without You, another great U2 classic that speaks for itself. Here, the greatness of U2 live truly expresses itself excellently, while the concluding piece (from Rotterdam) is Staring at The Sun, another track from "Pop" that Bono & The Edge offer us again in a warm and Latin-flavored acoustic version, decidedly better than the original electric version.

"Please [Popheart Live Ep]" is highly recommended for those who want to admire U2 live and also for those (not few) who were disappointed by "Pop," an album interesting for the various experimentation within, but which unfortunately was finished in a hurry. Even U2 themselves have recently complained about this, and it almost seems as if they want to forget this part of their long career; but maybe it's just propaganda...